Koertzen becomes second umpire to stand in 100 Tests

Lord's England - Australia Test sees South African joins Steve Bucknor at the landmark

Will receive special presentation from ICC President David Morgan after the Test to mark the occasion

Selects Ashes 2005 as the most exciting series he has been involved with, cites Lara, Tendulkar, Donald, McGrath and Warne as his favourite players

Broadcast-quality audio of Rudi Koertzen available for free download and use at www.icc-cricket.com

Less than a week after becoming the first umpire to stand in 200 One-Day Internationals, Rudi Koertzen of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires on Thursday became the second umpire after Steve Bucknor to officiate in 100 Tests by taking the field in the second Ashes Test at Lord's.

Koertzen, born on 26 March 1949 in Knysna, Cape Province, made his international debut on 9 December 1992 in a match between South Africa and India in Port Elizabeth and since then has gone on to become one of the game's most respected officials.

Reflecting on his 100th Test, Koertzen, who has been a member of the Emirates Elite Panel of ICC Umpires since 2002, said: "It is an honour for me to stand in my 100th Test at Lord's, a ground on which any cricketer would dream to play. It is also a special venue for me because my first match here was 10 years ago when I umpired the opening game of the 1999 ICC Cricket World Cup between England and Sri Lanka. And to complete the package, it's an Ashes series. I don't think I could ask for any more in my 100th Test."

To mark the occasion of Rudi's landmark Test, International Cricket Council (ICC) President David Morgan will present a trophy to him at the post-match presentation ceremony.

Koertzen dedicated his Test and ODI achievements to his family. "Both the landmarks (100 Tests and 200 ODIs) have come in a space of six days and I haven't had a chance to celebrate them. Probably when I finish my assignment in the United Kingdom and return home, I'll celebrate them with my family without whose support I would not have been able to get where I am today.

"I would like to dedicate both my achievements to my wife Hyla and four children ? my daughters Yalali and Eumelda and my sons Rudolf and Luan. I haven't spent much time with them in the last 17 years as I have been away from home for an average of 210 days a year. In my absence, it has been a burden on them but they have handled things very nicely and have allowed me to concentrate thoroughly on my job and give my best performance every time I have stepped on to the field.

"Obviously you feel proud when you know that amongst a galaxy of quality umpires you are only the second to complete century of Tests and the first to stand in 200 ODIs. But it was never a target that I had set for myself when I started international umpiring in 1992 after making my first-class debut in 1981. All I wanted to do was to be part of this great game and contribute as much as I could with dignity, pride, respect and to the best of my abilities.

"I still have the fire in my belly to improve, umpire in more matches and continue to enjoy the sport which has given me respect and recognition. The sport is not here because of us but we are here because of the sport and the more we can respect it, the more it will reciprocate," said Koertzen, who also stood in the Johnnie Walker Super Series Test match between Australia and the ICC World XI in Sydney in October 2005.

In the last 17 years, Koertzen has been in a special position to see many outstanding players of the game at close quarters. "I have been fortunate and privileged to have seen some of the greatest modern day cricketers very closely.

"It would be unfair to pin-point one or two players but I have to name Brian Lara and Sachin Tendulkar for whom I have the greatest respect and I have thoroughly enjoyed seeing them bat.

"They had amazing reflexes and used to pick up the ball as soon as it left the bowler's hand which helped them make batting look very graceful and elegant due to their superb timing, excellent footwork, ability to hit the gaps and score runs off good balls. While Sachin continues to delight us with his batting, it was sad to see retire Brian in 2007.

"I don't think you can replace batsmen like Sachin and Brian in a day or two. The batsmen of these qualities and class are born in years and we are so fortunate to have seen them when they were at their brilliant best.
"However, the individual innings I can't forget was by Adam Gilchrist when he scored 204 (with 19 fours and eight sixes) against South Africa at The Wanderers in February 2002. It was the most ruthless display of stroke-play I have seen to date. It was an amazing experience.

"As for the bowlers, I have always admired fast bowlers like Glenn McGrath and Allan Donald but the bowler who stands out is Shane Warne. He used to get the best out of the umpires by putting a lot of pressure on them.

"On numerous occasions, he bowled from my end and I have always found him testing my decision-making. Like every umpire, I had to concentrate extremely hard when he was bowling because he had so much variety and variation that every ball he bowled was potentially a wicket-taking delivery.

"If you ask me about the most memorable Test series I've been involved with, it has to be the 2005 Ashes which went down the wire. I was involved in the Test at Lord's, Birmingham and The Oval. England's victory by two runs at Birmingham was probably the most thrilling and nerve-wrecking Test I have been involved with.

"Both the teams played extremely hard cricket but in good spirits. I don't think a Test series can get any closer than the 2005 Ashes series."

On the present health of the game, Koertzen said: "I think cricket has never been healthier and it is all due to the fact that it is in very safe and capable hands. It is the only sport that offers three excellent formats which give options to everyone to go and enjoy.

"If you are a spectator and want to see a test of endurance, skill and stamina, there's Test cricket; if you want a result in a day without compromising the quality, there're One-Day Internationals; and if you want to see high octane cricket, there's Twenty20.

"And same applies for the cricketers as to which format they want to chose and master, though most of the top international players love to play Test cricket because they believe that's the ultimate test of their talent and potential.

"The leading Associate Members have a first-class tournament, ODI status and opportunities to compete against the Full Members in ICC Cricket World Cups and ICC World Twenty20s. Then there is an excellent development programme through which teams like Afghanistan are coming up.

"We are also embracing technology at the right time, after extensive research and considerable debate. The Umpire Decision Review System, which is being rolled out in Tests from 1 October, is an excellent initiative and will help the umpires to make more correct decisions which are already in mid-90s percentage-wise.

"Technology has taken cricket to every house and to a new level. While it has helped the game to grow at a rapid pace, it has brought the umpires under more scrutiny as it means everyone off the field now knows almost instantly if a correct decision has been made.

"Here the role of the ICC becomes very important and it is doing everything it can within its means to assist the match officials. We get all the information, mentoring, guidance and support required for continued improvement of our performances," he said.

Rudi also thanked the game's commercial partners including Emirates, the sponsors of the match officials "The sponsors are the lifeline of every sport and cricket is no exception in that regard. Without the generosity of those sponsors, the sport cannot survive, let alone grow or develop.

"The role of Emirates has been outstanding. They fly us all around the world and go out of their way to provide us with comfort in the air. The moment you step in the aircraft, you feel special because the crew immediately recognises you and treats you like you are part of them. For me, Emirates looks like a family airline as it makes you feel at home when away from home," he said.

Most Test appearances by umpires (as on 16 July):